Different bowling balls have different reaction levels, which means some balls will respond better to certain lane conditions than others. If you’re in the midst of a game and feel that you just can’t get the ball to react properly despite making corrections in your technique or approach, it’s not you – it’s the ball. Learn how to know when to swap your bowling ball during a game with these tips.

Should You Change Balls During a Game? A Checklist

You should not change bowling balls during a game without knowing what you hope to get out of it. According to The International Art of Bowling (a fantastic resource for any bowler looking to improve their game), there are three things you need to consider:

How is the ball reacting on the lane? This will depend partly on how recently the lane has been oiled. If it’s freshly oiled, you should have some skid and back end reaction by default. If the oil has been dispersed along the lane and your ball is hooking around the middle, you’ll want to move in. However, if you try this adjustment and the ball is sliding too long, or you move back and your ball is hooking too soon, you will need to change balls.

What kind of hook are you getting? In addition to the adjustments above, try to notice whether you’re hooking too much or not enough. Are you missing inside or outside? This can help you determine what ball you should swap for.

How is the ball hitting the pins? Watch your ball entering the pocket and leaving the pin deck. Are you inexplicably leaving a lot of corner pins even with a good hit? Your ball may not be getting the necessary carry due to skidding for too long or hooking too early. Swapping your bowling ball may be the remedy you need to get your game back on track.

Of course, “practice makes perfect” is a saying for a reason, so don’t underestimate the importance of bowling regularly and getting familiar with how each ball performs under certain conditions. Join us at Rab’s Country Lanes for open bowling in Staten Island, or sign up for one of our bowling leagues to improve your skills with a little competitive pressure!

One of the most essential skills required to be a good bowler is the hook shot. Mastering this shot will help you throw more strikes, because you’ll be more likely to hit the pocket – that sweet spot between the 1 and 3 or 1 and 2 pins that sends them flying and increases the number of pins you’ll knock down. But how do you throw a hook ball? Check out these tips to improve your hook shot and your bowling game overall.

It’s not all in the wrist.

While your first instinct when trying to hook the ball may be to rotate your wrist, that’s actually a recipe for a gutterball. The proper way to hook a bowling ball is to use your fingers to add some side rotation on the shot.

As you take your final step before the throw, remove your thumb from the ball, allowing your middle and index fingers to control the release of the ball. When your arm is at the lowest point of the swing and the ball is supported by those two fingers, you’ll need to remove your middle and ring fingers while twisting them to add that little flick of lift.

Ideally, your shot will be traveling straight down the lane before the side rotation you added takes over and carries the ball into the pocket. If you’re bowling right-handed, twist counter-clockwise; if you’re bowling left-handed, twist clockwise.

Want to put these tips to use to improve your bowling technique? You’re always welcome at Rab’s Country Lanes in Staten Island, where we host open bowling as well as some great bowling leagues!

How to practice bowling at home (or anywhere)

Practice your swing in front of a mirror. This one is great because it’s something you wouldn’t really want to do at the bowling alley anyway! Instead of awkwardly swinging your arm around in public, stand in front of a full-length mirror and practice your arm movement. By refining your swing in private, you’ll have the muscle memory you need to pull it off next time you’re at Rab’s.

Stay limber. Bowling uses many different muscles, so it’s important to keep yourself in good shape for optimal performance. Stretch every day and keep your body fit with weight training and cardio.

Devote some time to bowling every day – even if you can’t play. When you can’t make it to the lanes, you can still improve your game by keeping bowling at the forefront of your mind. Practice your visualization techniques, talk about bowling with a friend, read about bowling, or watch YouTube videos about bowling! Thanks to the internet, there are tons of resources to help you improve your bowling skills.

Whether you just bowl for fun or want to compete in a bowling league, Rab’s Country Lanes is the place to bowl in Staten Island! We hope you’ll join us soon to hone your skills and have a blast.

Bowling is a game of skill, but hand-eye coordination, aim, and strength are not the only skills needed to excel. If you’re wondering how to become a better bowler, don’t forget about the mental game!

At Rab’s Country Lanes, we host a wide range of bowling leagues for adults, teens, and kids, as well as open bowling. Lace up your bowling shoes and join us for the best bowling in Staten Island – and keep these tips in mind.

Develop a routine – Approaching your turn the same way each time can help get you in your bowling mindset and keep you on track. By re-setting to the same routine each time, you can focus your mental energy on planning your shot. Take a deep breath through your nose and out through your mouth as your final action before taking your shot.

Visualize your goal – Visualization is a powerful mental tool that can be useful in bowling and many other activities. Imagine the shot you want to make. How fast will the ball roll? Where will it hook? See yourself throwing the ball and hitting the sweet spot for a strike.

Regulate your emotions – Whether you roll a dud or a strike, one of the most important parts of bowling is to stay calm and steady. This is where your routine comes in! Going through your routine can help you re-set to a state of calm and focus necessary to throw a strike. The panic of a poor shot or excitement of a good shot can destroy your focus, but with a deep breath, a routine, and visualization, you can return to a state of calm.

Of course, practice makes perfect, so be sure to visit Rab’s Country Lanes for open bowling – or consider joining a bowling league to be part of a team and enjoy some friendly competition!

How does summer seem to simultaneously go too slow and too fast? As kids, most of us experienced lazy summer afternoons of boredom, as well as the panic of realizing summer is almost over! How did that happen? Well, if you’re looking for summer activities in Staten Island to help your kids make the most of summer, you’re in luck! Just come to Rab’s Country Lanes for our Summer Kids Special.

Affordable, Indoor Summer Fun for Kids

Join us from 9 am to 6 pm, 7 days a week, for our summer kids bowling special. This deal is perfect for kids, tweens, and teens – anyone ages 18 and younger. $10 per person includes:

2 games of bowling

Shoe rental

Choice of 1 slice of pizza or 1 hot dog

1 small soda

Adults are welcome to bowl on the same lane as their kids for $15 per person, including 2 games of bowling and shoe rental.

Why the Bowling Alley is Perfect for Summer Fun

Of course bowling is just plain fun, but there are more reasons to bring your kids to the bowling alley this summer.

No bugs – No need to spray the kids down with bug repellant or treat mosquito, ant, and wasp stings.

No sun – Getting kids to apply sunscreen is about as fun as getting them to apply bug spray! Why not choose an indoor activity?

No heat – When it’s miserably hot outside, your kids can get a little stir-crazy in the house, which can lead to bickering, raiding the snacks, and binging TV or video games. Instead, go bowling! They can be active and social at the bowling alley, in the comfort of air conditioning.

No hermits – Summer can be a pretty isolating time for kids. Help them keep their school friendships alive by planning some summer playdates at the bowling alley.

With kids out of school, people taking vacations, and warm weather, summer is a season to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. If you’re looking for social activities in Staten Island, consider joining one of our summer youth programs.

There’s something for everyone.

Whether your kids love competitive, casual bowling, or something in between, we have programs to fit the bill! From the Have-a-Ball Club that awards kids with their own bowling ball to Bowling 101 classes for kids 7 and younger, we’re here to share our love of the game with your youngsters. We also encourage family bowling outings for parents to introduce their kids to bowling in a fun and friendly atmosphere.

Play with friends or make new ones

Spending time with friends is one of the most important parts of a fulfilling life. In fact, there’s even evidence that making time to socialize is good for your health! Whether you sign up siblings or a single child, joining a youth program ensures that your kids will learn new skills and strike up some new friendships.

Beat the heat and have fun indoors

On those hot summer days where you can’t imagine leaving the air conditioning, bowling is a great way to get out of the house and add some activity to your schedule. At Rab’s, you can enjoy bowling in a comfortable atmosphere rain or shine, hot or cold.

Are you ready to sign up? Fill out our online form or check out our summer bowling youth programs to get started! For questions or more information, contact Nazareth Laursen at (718) 979-1600.

The modern bowling ball has had a long and interesting history. Learn a little more about it with some interesting bowling ball trivia.

Ancient Bowling

Both “lawn bowling” (games in which a ball is rolled at another) and pin bowling have been played for thousands of years. Archeologist have even found early “bowling pins” in the grave of an Egyptian child buried 5,200 years ago. Early lawn balls where asymmetrical and holeless– very unlike the bowling balls of today!

Bowling Ball Materials

Most bowling balls were historically made of a very hardwood called Lignum vitae. The first rubber ball was produced in 1905, called the Evertrue. Hard rubber bowling balls quickly became the norm until the introduction of polyester balls in the 1970s. From there, the bowling would start to change at a radical rate.

The following decade in 1980, urethane bowling balls were introduced to the market. Then around 1990, bowling ball would change again with the introduction of new core shapes. It was about this time that reactive urethane coverstocks where also introduced.

American Bowling Congress

In 1984, when the American Bowling Congress (now known as the United States Bowling Congress, or USBC) was founded, they sought to standardize the sport of bowling. Part of this effort included the standardization of bowling equipment, including the bowling ball. The USBC’s regulation and standards have absolutely helped shape the evolution of the bowling ball, and continue to do so today.

Looking for something fun to do with your family? Join us at the 9th Annual Rab Wilkinson Memorial Strokes for Strikes Golf Outing! The event will take place on Friday, May 10, 2019 starting at 7:00am. Rab’s Country Lanes will be hosting Strokes for Strikes at La Tourette Golf Course. This event will be supporting our youth scholarship fund and youth educational initiatives for Staten Island’s youth. The cost per golfer will be $150, so round up your team, coordinate your outfits, and come on out to play your favorite sport for a great cause.

Registration and continental breakfast will take place from 6:30 to 7:45 am, the event will begin at 7:45 am with 18 holes of golf with a power cart and on-course refreshments, lunch at the turn at 11:00am, and a deluxe BBQ and awards ceremony to follow under the tent. There will be plenty of games, gifts, raffles, and prizes for you and your team to enjoy. The event will also feature contests and prizes for both men and women including who has the longest drive, most accurate drive, who gets closest to the pin, the best foursome, most honest foursome, and fastest hole. There will also be a $10,000 cash hole-in-one contest sponsored by Richmond County Savings Foundation and an award for the best dressed foursome.

Once you have purchased the perfect bowling ball for you, you have to learn how to properly care for it. There are a lot of different opinions about how to clean a bowling ball, including some truly bizarre ones, so we have put together a few tips and tricks for cleaning a bowling ball:

Lane Oil

In order to properly maintain a bowling alley, the lanes must be regularly oiled. This is why you should never step past the foul line. And if left unchecked, this lane oils is also one of the biggest threats to your bowling ball.

After each shot, you may see a ring of oil on your ball, also called an “oil track.” This oil build up can affect the way your ball moves down the lane and make it harder to properly hook. But even worse is that your bowling ball can also absorb the oil causing damage to the ball. This is why you should wipe your ball down during play with a microfiber cloth. Make sure your cloth is microfiber so that you’re not adding scratches to your ball surface.

How to Clean a Bowling Ball

Different types of bowling ball materials are affected differently by oil. Hard plastic balls are most resistance to oil as they are not very absorbent, but higher end materials such as reactive resin or pearl overstock are actually quite absorbent and require much more frequently cleanings. Generally it is recommended that these high end balls be cleaned every 6 or so games. We recommend commercial ball cleaning supplies, but some people prefer to soak their ball in water and dish soap. If you do decide to soak your ball, make sure not to get any water in the finger holes as water can greatly damage your ball’s core.

To extend the life of your bowling ball, we recommend professional cleanings. Visit our pro shop for cleaning tips, cleaning schedules, and professional cleaning services.

Bowling is a fun activity for the whole family, including little ones! If you’re interested in teaching your child to bowl, here are our best tips to teach children to bowl to get you started.

Bowl early, bowl often. Kids can learn to bowl as young as 3 years old, but all kids are different and you should take your child’s motor skills and development into consideration. Your child will need to be able to lift a 6 lb bowling ball. Our bowling shoe rentals range from a toddler size 5 all the way to a men’s 20!

Gear up. Here at Rab’s, we love sharing the fun of bowling with local families, and we make it easy and fun to bowl with your kids. Bumpers are available on all 48 of our bowling lanes for kids 12 and under. They go up for the kids and down for the adults, so the whole family can enjoy an age-appropriate challenge. We also offer dragon bowling ramps, which are great for kids up to 5 years old. These sturdy plastic ramps allow little bowlers to get the thrill of knocking down pins without lifting a heavy ball.

Start with the basics. First up, safety! Make sure they know NOT to step onto the lane, which is slippery and can result in a tumble. For little kids, start them off holding the ball with two hands. Once they have two-handed bowling down, teach them how to hold the ball one-handed. It can be helpful to hold their hands on the ball and guide them in releasing, until they have learned the proper motion well enough to do it on their own.

Want more tips for teaching your kids to bowl? Check out this great Fatherly article featuring expertise from a Hall of Fame bowler!